Portable tower.



s. M. SMITH.

PORTABLE TOWER.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 8, 1917.

Patented Apr. 9, 191&

UNTT

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STEPHEN M. SMITH, 0F BOISE, IDAHO.

PORTABLE TOWER.

Application filed March 8, 1917.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, STEPHEN M. SMITH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Boise, in the county of Ada and State of Idaho, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Portable Towers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to portable towers and more particularly to towers adapted to be used in submarine work. Oneof the objects of the present invention i to provide a tower so constructed and arranged as to be capable of bodily movement from one place to another with a minimum amount of trouble. A further object is to provide a simple and practical tower of the above general character particularly adapted for use in submarine work that may be conveniently floated to the place of use and set up in place without other apparatus. A further object is to provide an apparatus of the above general character which will be inexpensive to manufacture and of strong and durable construction.

Other objects will be in part obvious from the annexed drawings and in part indicated in connection therewith by the following analysis of this invention.

This invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combination of parts and in the unique relations of the members and in the relative proportioning and disposition thereof; all as more completely outlined herein.

To enable others skilled in the art so fully to comprehend the underlying features thereof that they may embody the same by the numerous modifications in structure and relation contemplated by this invention, drawings depicting a preferred form have been annexed as a part of this disclosure, and in such drawings, like characters of reference denote corresponding parts throughout all the views, of which Figure l is a plan view of the major portion of the apparatus; and

Fig. 2 is an elevational view of the same apparatus in operative position.

Before describing the invention in detail, it may be stated by way of explanation that the present apparatus comprises a portable knockdown tower so constructed as to be conveniently floated to the place where it is desired to erect the tower at which place certain valves are operated to allow water to enter the hollow legs causing the tower Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 9, 1918.

Serial No. 153,411.

to automatically fold into erected position at the desired location. When so erected, suitable platforms, cranes and other apparatus are mounted thereon according to the use to which the tower is put. As herein illustrated and described, the invention is applied to the drilling of a shaft below the water level to form a suitable anchorage for one end of a pulling cable such as might be employed in pulling off boats that have gone aground.

Referring now to the drawings in detail and more particularly to Fig. l, 5 denotes four hollow tubular members adapted to form the main supporting legs of the tower.

It is, however, to be understood that more or less legs may be used as desired according to the strength of the structure desired. It is believed, however, that four is a preferable number and forms a firmer and more substantial base than a tripod. The ends of these legs meet at a common point where they are pivotally connected at 6 and two pairs are also connected near their central parts by transverse members 7 also of tubular construction and connected with the interior of the legs 5. Near the outer ends of each of the legs 5 is positioned a valve 8 connected by means of a pull rod or other.

suitable operating device 9 with substantially the center of the apparatus whereby the valves 8 may be opened and closed, as desired from a single point of control. Each leg is also provided with valved bulk head members 10 and 11 which may also be opened and closed as desired by internal mechanism operable through the manholes 12 near the pivot points 6. Thus, by opening the valves 8 the water will enter therethrough and till the lower compartment between the outer end of each leg and the bulk head 10. This will causea gradual sinking of the outer ends of the legs and a consequent raising of the inner ends. The valve in the bulk head 11 may subsequently be opened which will cause the intermediate chamber to fill and the tower moved substantially to the position shown in Fig. 2.

On the other hand, when it is desired to collapse the tower after the operation, steam or compressed air may be injected through the manholes 12 to force the water out past the bulk heads and out through the valves 8 thus causing the lower ends of the legs to float upwardly and the consequent co1- lapse of the tower.

Ill

lhe transverse members 7 form a convent means of support for a platfo x 1a. A crane 15 may also be connected 3 1 the uppe" part oi the provided with traveL ing ioisting means whereby the material, etc., may be unloaded from floats or boats and carried to the platform Ll, as oesired. A suitable signal and tool house 17 may be mounted upon the upper part of the tower. lt is, of course, to be understood that this entire structure is equipped with reinforcing a d bracing n us, such 18 and it), wherever i ls herein shown, the apparatus is emj lOZIGCl for sinlri a casing down through the sanu supporting the tower beneath the water to bedrock. in engine 21 is mounted upon the platform 1% and herein shown is lowering the anchor wedges down through the casing 20 into the bed rock. lt will be noted that the center wedge is seen poi ting upwaroly which the ends of suitable cables or hawsers are clamped. The side wedges 2% point downwardly and are shaped to it the size of the hole and about the anchor ropes connected with the central wedge. The three wedges are lowcred below the bottom of the casing and the weight of the side wedges will securely hold and lock the central wedge in place, thus forming a substantial anchorage for one end of the hawser. The opposite end may be connected with any suitable source of power after passing about the boat to be moved.

The device may be conveniently operated as follows: Assuming the tus to be in ion shown in Fig. 1, it is floated to the desired locality and the valves opened to allow the water to rush into the lower compartm nt. This causes the outer ends of the legs to sinlr and the inner ends rise above the water level. 11 the tower does not automatically come to its desired position, the valves in the bulk head 11 are operated through the manholes or hand openings 12 to cause the second or intermediatesection to also 1 or partially fill with w ter. If desired, the windlasses 25 may be turned to wind up the cables 26 thereon, the ends of appar which after passing about the pulleys 27 are connected at the points 28 with :the opposite legs. together and held in firm position against spreading. After the tower has thus been erected, the platform 1 lis built across the transverse member 7 and the crane 15 put in place together with such other apparatus or equipment as may be necessary according to tile use to which it is put.

is, of course, to be understood, however, the present invention may be used in numerous other submarine projects, such for example, as the erection of cable ways for the construction of jetties and seawalls.

It is thus seen that present invention This will cause the to be pulled will so fully reveal the gist of this invention" that others can by applying current knowledge readily adapt' it for various applications without omitting certain features that, from the standpoint of the prior art, fairly constitute essential characteristics of the generic or specific aspects of this invention, therefore such adaptations should and are intended to be comprehendedv within the meaning and range of equivalency of the following claims.

I claim:

. 1. ln a portable tower of the characterd'e- 7 bed in 'combinatioina plurality of hollow legs adapted to torm'a float, two of said legs being held in rigid relation, a central pivotal connection for said legs and valves in the free ends of said le s adapted to permit the filling thereof whereby the legs will automatically erect the tower at the desired location as they turn about the pivotal connection. I

2. In a portable tower of the character described in combination, four hollow tubular legs connected in pairs to form two A-like structures, a pivot connecting said structures at their apex, said structures being formed of hollow tubular material, and valves in the ends of the legs of said structures adapted to be opened to permit the filling thereol whereby the structures will automatically turn about the pivot at the apex and cause the erection of the tower at thedesired' location. I j

ln a portable tower of the characterdescribed, in combination, a plurality of radially disposed. hollow legs having Cl1t111 bcrs near their outer ends, a central pivotal connection for said legs, two of said le 's be ing held in rigid relation whereby the structure constitutes a float or raft when said legs lie in substantially the same plane, valves in the free ends of said legs communicating with the chambers whereby they connection for said legs, valves associated with the legs for admitting water to the end chambers the fi eeenids'ot the sink, and means for drawing the legs together and holding same in relatively fixed position.

5. In a portable tower of the character described, in combination, a plurality of hollow legs divided into a plurality of chambers, valves in the dividing Wall between the chambers, said legs bein normally substantlally na tight whereby the device constitutes a neat or raft when the legs lie in substantially the same plane, a central pivotal connection for said legs, valves associated with the legs for admitting water to the end chambers to cause the free ends or" the logs to sink, means for drawing the legs together and holding the same in relatively fixed position, and transverse members connecting opposite pairs of said legs adapted to form a platform support.

6. in a portable tower of the character described, in combination, a plurality of holloW tubular legs having chambers at their outer ends, said legs being radially disposed and having pivotal connections at their adjacent inner ends, valves associated With the chambers at the ends of said legs, means for opening and closing the valves, and ropes connecting one of the legs on one side with one of the legs on the opposite side whereby the legs may be drawn together when the chambers are filled with water and allowed to sink, thereby to prevent separation of the legs and cause the central pivotal point to rise above the surface of the water.

In testimony whereof I aifix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

STEPHEN M. SMITH. lVitnesses:

P. W. MONAHAN, A. W. V. WILTON.

fiepies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner or Patents,

Washington, D. O." 

